Abstract: Objective  To explore the feasibility of transplanting islets into the stomach subserous space in diabetic inbred rats. Methods  Lewis inbred male rats were enrolled as islets donors and recipients. Diabetes was induced by the administration of streptozotocin. Equal numbers of fresh islets were transplanted into the stomach subserous space and into the renal subcapsular space, respectively. The glucose level, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance and survival rate of islets transplanted were detected afterwards. Results  The glucose level of all diabetic rats receiving islets in stomach subserous or renal subcapsular space significantly decreased 3 weeks after transplantation (P＜0.05). All rats had good glucose tolerance, and there was no significant difference in the glucose level between the two groups (P＞0.05). The islets transplanted into those two sites were identified by immunohistochemical detection using anti-insulin antibody, with a few of inflammatory cells infiltrating around the islets. The infiltration was more obvious around islets located in the renal subcapsular space. The glucose level of rats with islets transplanting into renal subcapsular space and stomach subserous space gradually increased again at the 5th and 4th weeks after transplantation, respectively. The glucose level of all the rats in the two groups significant increased with a reduced glucose tolerance and the immunohistochemical detection showed that there were only dispersed islets left in the two sites at the 6th week after transplantation. Conclusion  Islet transplantation into stomach subserous space is technically feasible and owns a better effect in improving the glucose of diabetic rats than that into renal subcapsular space in the early state. However, the long-term effects remain to be confirmed by other studies.

Key words: Stomach subserous space, Rats, inbred Lew, Islet transplantation, Renal subcapsular space